BOARD00176 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 5/23/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Navajo-Gallup EIS and Status of Navajo Settlement Negotiations - Arizona Position
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state_co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor

To:
From:
Date:
Re:

Harris D. Sherman
Executive Director

Colorado Wat~ CswservPtiQn Board Members
Steve Miller ~ <- ~
May 11, 2007
Agenda Item 19, May 22-23,2007, CWCB Meeting. Water Supply
Protection - Preferred Storage Options Plan Authorization

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Introduction:
Arkansas Basin Board member Harold Miskel has been periodically briefing the Board on
progress regarding the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District's (SECWCD)
Preferred Storage Options Plan (PSOP). Recently two bills have been introduced in the US
House of Representatives to authorize the US Bureau of Reclamation to take the necessary
actions to begin implementation of PSOP. Harold has requested this agenda item to discuss
the proposed federal legislation with the Board and obtain the Board's input and support.
HR1833 was introduced by Rep. John Salazar (co-sponsor Rep. Marilyn Musgrave) on
March 29, and Rep. Doug Lamborn (co-sponsor Rep. Tom Tancredo) introduced HR 2277
on May 10. Copies of both bills and a side-by-side comparison are attached to this memo.

Backaround:
The PSOP was the result of several years of study involving all of the major water interests in
the Arkansas Basin. The initial study conducted from 1997 to 1998 was the "Future Water
and Storage Needs Assessment". In many respects the Needs Assessment was a model
and a precursor to the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). The Assessment attempted
to involve all water providers and users including municipal, agricultural, recreation and
environmental interests. The City of Aurora, although not in the SECWCD service area, also
participated based on recognition of its existing short-term storage contracts at Pueblo and
Turquoise Reservoirs and fairly extensive portfolio of Arkansas Basin water rights. The
Assessment analyzed current supplies, projected growth, forecast demands, new projects
under design, and alternatives to satisfy unmet future needs in a collaborative screening type
process.

During 2000 the participants developed the PSOP by choosing the most likely to succeed
elements from the Assessment, based on financial, hydrologic, environmental, and
regulatory constraints. A key criterion for any alternative was that it not disrupt the voluntary
flow management program which attempts to provide rafting flows between Turquoise and